


Starry Night by the Han River

by PrinsesaChan



Category: HOTSHOT (Band), Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Best Friends, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 06:50:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12185028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinsesaChan/pseuds/PrinsesaChan
Summary: During a night of sneaking out, Sungwoon initiates a conversation Daniel didn't want to have.





	Starry Night by the Han River

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Please expect some OOCness and random insertions of Korean words.

“What are your plans, Niel-ah?”

He blurted out the question out of the blue. In some strange turn of events, they found themselves by the Han River with an opened beer can beside them.

Daniel was lying on the grass, his arms cradled the back of his head and his long legs outstretched. He sprawled there like he was on his bed back at the dorm. No care in the world whether his back rested on dirt ground. Sungwoon, on the other hand, sat hugging both his knees, making his frame appear like a big ball.

They both were very much aware they cannot be seen out like this, drinking alcohol. If a paparazzo or a stalker fan — heck if any passerby caught and took a picture of them, they would surely get in trouble.

“Hyung, do you think people who’ll see us right now might think we’re a couple?”

Sungwoon frowned and side-eyed Daniel. “What? You’re so random. Why would you even say that?”

Daniel laughed his typical boisterous giggle. “It’s just this spot is really for couples, you know. It’s very secluded too.”

“Stop spending time with Jaehwan. You’re getting infected with the weirdest shit he says.”

Daniel, for the umpteenth time, giggled like crazy. He sat up and took a swig at his beer, only to plop back down on the grass bed. “A few more months left, hyung…” His tone was light, but there was a tinge of seriousness to it.

A few hours ago, the two suddenly came out with the most ridiculous plan of sneaking out of their dorm to drink alcohol while star-gazing. The other members were already asleep. With the stealth of a ninja, they managed to find a way out of their dormitory without being detected and seen. They hailed down a cab, hoping the driver wouldn’t recognize them (he did but couldn’t exactly place who they were!), and arrived by the Han River. At around 2 am, the area wasn’t crowded but it wasn’t completely deserted either. Still, the two friends managed to find a spot away from prying eyes to enjoy their drinking.  

Sungwoon shook his head. “There you go again. You managed to change the subject before answering my question.”

“What was your question again, hyung?” Daniel asked innocently, a piece of jelly now hangs from his mouth.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know!” He pointed a finger at him as if scolding a little boy. “We’ve got a few months left, and you never really talk about what you’d be doing. I know some news here and there have been released, but we’re not really allowed to divulge. Almost everyone has a plan in their mind. You’re the only one who keeps it a secret.”

Sungwoon was aware that his voice was quite high-pitched, as if whining. And this, he was aware, Daniel found hilarious. The younger boy sat up, laughing again, and then ruffled Sungwoon’s hair.

“Hyunggg~ you’re so cute!” Daniel exclaimed, pinching Sungwoon’s cheeks. Usually the older boy didn’t mind. However, Sungwoon always had this feeling that Daniel doesn’t exactly see him as ‘hyung-like’. Sure, Daniel always referred to him as a ‘hyung’. However, Daniel seemed to treat him like a young boy. _I ain’t Little Woojin_ , he once protested to Daniel. But rather than stopping, Daniel only gave him a bear hug saying ‘Sungwoon-hyung is so precious!’

But that was beside the point. Too late to tell the younger man to stop. A year since their debut had gone by. In a few months… Sungwoon immediately dispelled the one word lingering in his mind — lingering in everyone’s mind.

He took Daniel’s hand, which was still patting his head. “Niel, let’s talk.” His tone was cold serious. Daniel slightly pouted his lips but proceeded to behave.

“Hyung, you sound so serious.”

“I am.” He turned to completely face Daniel, who has a small smile on his lips. But when he saw Sungwoon’s expression, the smile immediately disappeared. “I’m worried about you.”

Daniel remained quiet. He picked up his beer can and chugged it. The boyish demeanour he usually wore was gone. Suddenly in front of Sungwoon sat a very popular man — one people always talked about, the PDs wanted on their show, the one who got so many praises, and the one who always got heavily criticized.

“What do you want me to say, hyung? That I’m also worried for myself? I’m not a singer like Jaehwan or belong in a popular company like Guanlin or have an established group to go back to. My hype will die down. And after Wanna One, I’ll just be the boy who won Produce 101. So to be very frank, I don’t know what my plan is.”

Daniel sounded angry, though Sungwoon can tell he was restraining himself. Was this the right approach? He wasn’t the only one concerned for Daniel. He remembered talking to Minhyun and Jisung about the younger boy. Daniel was the only one whose career path was unknown to them. His agency, MMO, released a statement saying that Daniel would lay out his plans after Wanna One’s activities. Unlike the others, Daniel’s was still unknown.

Sungwoon placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. Till now, he was always amazed at how broad they were. For someone with such child-like character, his body simply screamed ‘man’. At times, Sungwoon would think how it would be to have such built and proportions. _What the hell am I thinking? I’m turning into Jaehwan!_ ”

“Look, Niel, I know that the fans and many on TV constantly talk about where your career would be headed. We all know it affects you. Talk to us. We’re not your hyung for no reason!”

Daniel scoffed. It might look like he was smiling, but in reality he was being sarcastic. This was a rare sight for Sungwoon — when a smile didn’t reach Daniel’s eyes. “You guys talk about me behind my back, huh?”

“Hey! Don’t start that, young man!” Sungwoon sternly reprimanded him. Suddenly, he was no longer the ‘small and precious hyung’. “You don’t tell us what you’re going through, not even to Seongwoo. You act all happy, laughing at anything, but we all know. We know how you’re feeling nowadays.”

Daniel looked down, lips protruding. The manly vibe he wore momentarily evaporated. In front of Sungwoon sat a boy with puppy-like attributes. He scratched the side of his face near his eye, a habit he does when he’s quite unsure of what to do.

Minutes passed and silence grew between them. Sungwoon patiently waited for Daniel to speak. He caught Daniel stealing a glance, as if checking Sungwoon’s expression. “I’m all ears, Niel. If you want it between the two of us, it’ll remain between the two of us.”

Scratching his eye again, Daniel bit his lip. “Here, eat this first,” Sungwoon handed him a package of jelly. He knew it would calm the boy down. Daniel went through the piece of junk food in no time. “You ready now?”

“It’s just…” He started to say only to trail off. He gazed up at the starry sky; a thoughtful look showed on his face. Sungwoon was reminded of this famous video of Daniel from a fansigning a year ago, when the latter was gazing at bubbles. It went viral that even non-fans praised Daniel’s visual. It still didn’t change Daniel’s complexity towards his physical appearance.

“I’m tired and my chest feels heavy, hyung.”

His words dug through Sungwoon like pieces of blades. He was aware that Daniel had been showing signs of exhaustion – not just physically but also emotionally. He had served as a strong and bubbly character for Wanna One; it was mentally tiring.

“I’m thankful we’ve achieved so many in just a span of a year. We toured and performed in so many countries and events. I was at my happiest. But now… a few months left and…”

Sungwoon patted his back, fully knowing what Daniel is feeling at the very moment. It felt like a huge lump in his throat was forming and that the sides of his eyes were burning. The group as a whole never really discussed life after Wanna One. The past year was all work—they had fun, enjoyed a lot of luxuries, gained so many experiences, went to many shows and met many celebrities. And while they would mention post-Wanna One activities, no one dared open up how they felt with the inevitable separation.

“Niel,” he said Daniel’s name with the gentlest tone he could conjure. He wanted to be the reassuring hyung in front of this giant baby. But… Daniel broke him first.

“Hyung…” Daniel’s voice cracked. His head was lowered, both fists clenched and pushing down the soft grass. He wasn’t crying—or he was trying not to cry. “I don’t want to let go of us. I don’t want to let go of the group. I want us to stay. Work till the late hours. Sweat till we’re all collapsed on the floor. I want us to continue whining to each other how we’re all sleepy and hungry, even if we just ate a few minutes ago. I want us to continue dancing and singing together.”

By this time, Sungwoon was crying. The last time he cried so much was during Produce 101. Back then, everyone was crying thinking of the stress and hardships they endured during the show. They were emptying their eyes because they did not want to separate from each other. They cried because not all would debut together. Now, he’s crying because the separation would be happening too soon. The year went by way too quickly. Within the blink of an eye, Wanna One was formed. Another blink and it would be a thing of the past.

Between the sniffing and puffing, Sungwoon heard a giggle. Through hazy eyes he could see Daniel laughing—the same laugh he would wear when he was being random and weird.

Wiping his nose with the back of his hand, Sungwoon frowned. “Why are you laughing now?”

Trying to calm himself down, Daniel patted Sungwoon on the head. It was a habit Daniel developed that at times irked Sungwoon. The former would tend to “forget” that the latter is the older one. Daniel explained himself.

“Because weren’t you supposed to comfort me, hyung? How come you’re the one being a crybaby again?”

It was times like this that Sungwoon was amazed at Daniel’s character. He always had a way to brighten a glum atmosphere with that laugh of his. He could kiss him right there and then! He couldn’t help but scoff, though a grin formed on his lips.

Shaking his head, Sungwoon sighed. “We were having a moment here, you stupid brat!” He lightly hit Daniel’s shoulder. “I wanted to talk to you seriously.”

Daniel gazed up at the sky again. “As long as we all can see those stars, we’ll always be together.”

“What?” There he went with his random he-thinks-he’s-deep statements.

Daniel looked at Sungwoon. Though he was smiling, there was a tinge of sadness in those dark orbs. “We signed up for this, hyung. All of us know what we’re getting at. It’s frustrating to think that all eleven of us were so good together, only to end soon. But…” he trailed off. Daniel scampered around to grab another beer can from the plastic bag they brought. He proceeded to open the can and took a swig of the drink. It was one of the first brands they endorsed. “I read some reviews. Many didn’t like the bitterness of this,” he pointed to the can. “But to me, it tasted sweet. Maybe because it was one of the first CFs we had. It would always give me good memories if I drink it.”

Being easily influenced by the Samoyed-look-a-like, Sungwoon grabbed a can for himself as well. Upon taking a sip, he nodded. “You’re right. It does taste delicious.”

“So yeah… I’m scared of next year. I don’t know what would happen to me—to all of us. I’m worried many of us would hit a dead wall after Wanna One. I’m also very worried that many of us would feel so empty without seeing each other after being together for more than a year!”

Another gulp of the sweet-but-actually-bitter drink.

“But we’ll be okay. I can only trust that we will all be okay, hyung. When you go back to your group, you’ll have with you these great memories as a Wanna One member. You’ll do great, hyung!”

Sungwoon couldn’t help it. He placed the can on the ground. It toppled down, spilling the contents on the grass. He didn’t care. He knelt down in front of Daniel and gave the giant boy a bear hug.

“And you will be fine. In fact, you will be amazing wherever you go, Niel.”

Daniel was caught by surprise momentarily, but he soon wrapped one arm around Sungwoon and patted his back. “For sure, hyung. We will all be amazing at whatever we choose to do.”

Sungwoon let go, a big smile on his face. “After all…” He trailed, wiggling his eyebrow at Daniel, hoping he’d get his message.

They always had a connection whenever they stare at each other’s eyes. With grins on their faces, they put their fist on their chest and exclaimed in perfect unison, “All I wanna do, Wanna One!”

And with that, the two best friends finished the remaining beer they brought and stayed looking up at the starry night…until their phones rang and Jisung calling them and Minhyun leaving a frantic message. Laughing out loud, the giant baby and the small-and-precious hyung gathered their trash, giggling like some crazy fools, and made their way back to the dorm.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> My first W1 fanfic and first ever to write about "real" individuals (I usually stick to anime characters on ffnet). The topic might be a sensitive one to others, but I want to "confront" this. I hope you enjoyed it.


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